Improvement in hames



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0F AUBURN, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 98,834, dated January 11, 1870.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part ot the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. LEToHwoaTH, of Auburn, in the county of Cayuga, and State of 'New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvement-s in Haines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which make part of this specitication, and iu Which- Figure 1 represents an elevation of a pair of llames.

Figure 2 represents an enlarged section of the upper portiouof one of the hames, with the clasp locked in its position by the connecting-strap.

I am aware that a tongue-d clasp has been used within t-he looped end, to which the connecting-strap is secured, to unite the upper portion ofva pair of haines, in such manner as to admit of adjustment to `suit diiierentsized collars, such adjustment being effected by constructing the loops ofthe clasps with an upward inclination, so as to cause them to beheld iirmly against the outer' faces of the haines, by which the tongues prevent the displacement of the clasps, so long as the haines are braced and held tothe collar by the connecting-strap, and that the adjustment up or down of the looped clasps is effected, without removing the connecting-strap, by pressing their looped ends down, so as to withdraw the tongues from the holes in the plates of the hames. I have found that this method of attaching and adjusting the looped clasps noti only renders them liable toV drop ofi' thellames, and become misplaced when the latter are not Ain use, but are also liable to get out of adjustment, because, when the loop is not locked to the llames at its proper angle, the locking-pin will be readily withdrawn from the hole in the plate, and thus render a readjustment ofthe clasp necessary every time the llames are placed on the collar; and especially is this the case in removing the hames from or placing them upon the collar,

because, in doing so, they are grasped by their lower ends, andthe moment the connecting-strap is relieved from" the collar,it sags, and its weight brings down the oblique arms ot'the clasp, and releases the tongue from its socket in the plate, thereby destroying-the adjustment of the clasp, and rendering it necessary to reiix the adjust-ment of the haines, when placed upon the collar.

It is the object of my improvement to remedy these disadvantages, and to obtain-a clasp that will remain locked to the hames in whatever position it may be adjusted,whethei; inl use vor not, so that it cannot be removed therefroii, by means ofthe connecting-strap, such adjustment being effected only by the removal of the strap, and, in addition to this, to employ a closeiitting clasp, in connection with a series of pins projecting from theonter face-plate of the hames, so that the clasp may n ot only belocked with any one of 'said pins, but, to eiiect a closer adj ustment of the haines to the collar, the clasp may be locked and supported be tween the pins.

To this end, therefore, I construct the hamesA with the usual outer face-plate B, and provide the upper portion thereof with a series of pins, G, at suitable distances apart, and of suiiicient projection to form a lock for the/clasp; and I make that side of the clasp, adjacent to the face-plate, with a socket, D, for the pins C `to it into; and the arms E, which embrace the sides of theV llames, instead of having an angular position, with reference to the clasp, and lengthwise of the llame, are at right angles to the length thereof', while the arms E extend only so far beyond the linner face ofthe hames to form a loop, F, for the reception of the connecting-strap G, which intervenes between the inner face ofthe haines and the looped end ofthe clasp, so that when the strap is iu place, the inner ends of the armsE can neither more up nor down, nor the socketed portion toward or from the face-plate, but constitutes a close-tting clasp, which cannot be removed from its seat, except by the removal of the connectilig-strap.

YThe arrangement ofthe pins C, in connection with a socketed close-fitting clasp, it will be seen, also adlmits of its adjustmentbetween the pins, and, when so adj usted, will rest either upon the lower piu or against the upper one, by which Iiam enabled to obtain a double adjustment directly upon the pins, or between them, while in either adjustment, the necessary conn uecting-strap forms the lock to the clasp, as shown by dot-ted lines, fig. 2.

By this construction of clasp, the hames can be adjusted to any-size collar; and as the connecting-strap is never unbuckled from the haines, unless it be to f change the adjustment of the clasps, it is obvious that it is impossible`for the harnes to becomeseparated from their connecting-strap, whether in use or not.

The projections on the haines possess the advantagesover open holes or sockets, of not being liable tote filled up with dirt and ice, or snow, which would necessitate their being cleaned out in adjustingthe clasp.

vHaving thus described my invention,

I claim the projections C, when used in connection witha socketed clasp, in suchnianner as to admit .of the adjustment 'of said clasp, either upon or between the pins, as described. l

GEORGE J. LETGHWORTH.

Witnesses BYRON C. SMITH, Gaone. D. RUSSELL. 

